Christchurch Assault Case.

Manawatu Standard, Volume IX, Issue 9, 9 December 1884, Page 2

Christchurch Assault Case.

On Friday at the Christchurch Resident Magistrate's Court, Win. Tlios. Austin Tyrell, Win. Peacock, and John Arthur Cotton were charged with felonious assault. Constable Dillon deposed that while on his beat m AHeii-street,off Manchester-street, at about 1 a.m. on December 2, he heard a woman screaming loudly, aud he ran to the South Belt;nearly opposite the pasaenger station he met the three prisoners running out on the footpath ; he seized Tyrell and Cotton, a struggle ensued, aud Cotton got away. The third man also esuapeu towards the Terminus Hotel. He took Tyrell into the vacant section winch adjoins Bird's house, and found a woman behind the fence. Shu was standing up, crying; her hair was dishevelled and her dress' disarranged. She cried out," Where are the police ?" She said she had been knocked down after being shoved m off the footpath by three young men ; that they put their hands on her mouth, and each m turn committed a capital offence on her while the others held her down. Witness asked if the man he held (Tyrell) was one of them. She said he was. She then fell down as if fainting. He told her to follow him to the police station, where he at once took Tyrell. The ground was afterwards seacheii,and there were signs of much struggling. Detective O'Connor stated that he arrested Cotton and Peacock on the present charge. They said " all right." A minute or two after Peacock said, "This looks bad for me ; my father dead, and my mother away, and my sister going bad." The prosecutrix : I am a married woman. My husband is, I believe, m Geeloug. Ho is a tannr>r. He has been away two years. I have resided since m Wellington and Dunedin. I havo-beety laid up nearly ever since with tlie' effects of paralysis. I was m the Hospital twice — eight months and again man jhrnonths. I left it on 26th November. "I left on my own accord. On the evening of December 1 I went to Mrs Thompson's to tea. She lives m Gor-don-street near Ferry-voad, I stayed there a considerable time — some hours. I don't know what, hour I left. I left alone, and intended to go back to my lodgings. I did not go into any house after leaving Thompson's. I lost my way near the Caversham, and on account of my infirmity I had to go very slowly. I arrived near the railway station, on the opposite side of the belt. I was quite sober, though I had one glass of beer with Mrs Thompson. When I was on the foot-path, going west, some men came up behind me, two of them got hold of me, and took me by the shoulders oft" the path behind some hushes not far away. They threw me down. (Here she described the asanlrs.) I began screaming. One of them put his finirers into mv mouth, and. his other hand over it, I protected myself as well as T could, but must have got partially unconscious. I swear the three men aßsaultcdri mo m turn, the others holding me. After this had been going on for Bomp. time th«»y seemed to be disturbed, and all ran away m a minute, t henrd no one coming up. When the constable brought Tyrell to me, I then recognised him as one of those who assaulted me. I could not, however, say now which of the three at the bar is the one. [The pros^cutrix seemed very infirm. Being paralysed on one side, she drags one leg m walking. She, moreover, appears to be partially imbenile.] Mrs Annie Bird deposed to having seen some part of the offences,which were committed under her bedroom window. Further corroborative evidence was given and the accused were committed for trial, bail being refused.